Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (114 page)

“Hurry
up!
We’re
going
to
be
late
if
we
don’t
leave
soon!”
Vannie
hissed.
Smiling
at
the
librarian,
Vannie
pushed
her
three
books
across
the
counter.
“I’ll
take
these,
please.”

“Would
you
like
me
to
put
hers
on
your
card?”

Ellie
was
already
out
the
door.
Vannie
shook
her
head.
“No,
thank
you.
Aunt
Aggie
prefers
we
keep
ours
on
our
own
cards
so
she
can
keep
track
of
who
has
read
what.
It’s
easier
for
her.”

“Smart
aunt.”

Vannie
waited
at
the
side
of
the
counter
for
Laird’s
turn.
Ellie
still
hadn’t
returned.
When
Laird
stepped
up
to
pass
the
librarian
his
books,
Vannie
whispered,
“You’d
better
get
Ellie’s.
She’s
still
not
back.
I
think
she
left
her
card
at
home.
She
can
just
write
her
books
down
for
Aunt
Aggie
herself.”

Book
run
accomplished,
Vannie
and
Laird
hurried
outside
to
see
where Ellie was
.
The
girl,
her
bicycle,
her
backpack,
everything—gone.
“What—”

“Call
Aunt
Aggie.
I’ll
ride
around
the
block.
She’s
probably
playing
a
joke
on
us
or
something.”

“Ellie
doesn’t
play
jokes.
Where
is
she!”
Vannie
whipped
out
the
cell
phone
they
took
when
they
rode
places
away
from
home,
and
dialed
Aggie.
“Aunt
Aggie,
Ellie’s
gone.”
Tears
formed
as
she
listened
to
the
voice
on
the
other
end
tell
her
to
calm
down
and
explain
what
happened.
“She’s
just
gone.
She
didn’t
have
her
library
card
in
her
backpack.”
Tears
choked
her,
making
much
of
what
she
said
unintelligible.
“—the
packy
thingie
on her
bike
and
she
went
to
get
it
but
she
didn’t
get
it
or
maybe
she
did
I
don’t
know,
but
she
never
came
back
in
the
library,
and
now
she’s
gone!”

Vannie
stared
at
the
phone
,
confused.
Out
of
breath,
Laird
jogged
up
to
her,
panting.
“I
ran
around
the
block,
but
I
didn’t
see
her
and no one that I talked to saw a girl on a bike
.
What’s
wrong?”

“Aunt
Aggie
is
coming.”

“Um,
isn’t
that
good?”

“I
guess.”
Vannie
stared
at
the
phone
even
more
intently.
“Should
I
call
9-1-1?”

“What
for?”

“She’s
gone,
Laird!
The
bike
is
gone,
no
one
has
seen
her.
People
don’t
just
evaporate!”

“I
think
you
should
let
Aunt
Aggie
decide.
I’ll
go
see
if
anyone
at
the
hardware
store
saw
anything.
They’ve
got
that
big
window
that
overlooks
most
of
this
side
of
the
street.”

Before
she
could
respond,
Laird
tore
across
the
street,
jerked
open
the
door
to
the
store,
and
disappeared
inside.
A
woman
stepped
out
of
her
car
parked
in
front
of
the
library
and
called,
“Are
you
looking
for
the
girl
with
the
dark
braids?”